WATCH: Politicians go head-to-head over Brexit — and Leave campaign WINS audience vote

ANTI-EUROPEAN UNION politicians shamed their Remain counterparts in a passionate debate in front of 2,000 people — who left convinced of the Leave campaign's arguments.

It was the largest debate in The Spectactor magazine’s history with tickets selling out fast for the event based on whether Britain should leave the EU.

UKIP leader Nigel Farage, Tory MEP Daniel Hannan and Labour MP Kate Hoey gave rousing speeches in favour of leaving the EU while former Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg and Labour MPs Liz Kendall and Chuka Umunna campaigned to stay seemingly withering in comparison.

Each speaker was given time to put their case forward and later fielded questions from the 2,200 members of the audience at the London Palladium.

The audience was asked to vote which side had won them over – and the Leave camp won.

Mr Hannan stole the show with his impassioned speech receiving rapturous applause.

He told the crowd: “I’m inviting you to make me redundant – and, into the bargain, make Nigel (Farage) redundant.

“I wouldn’t be doing if I were not confident that there will be plenty of openings for newly-unemployed MEPs in the boom that would follow our exit from the EU.

"Why do we tie ourselves to the one part of the world that is not experiencing significant economic growth?

"The eurozone, incredibly, was the same size at the end of last year as it was in 2006.

"Every continent on this planet has grown over the past decade except Antartica and the European Union.

"We are a trading people. We dont sit on great natural resources here, we have to make our way by what we by and sell, that means we have to be where the customers are. And that means as long as we’re in the European Union, we cannot sign independent trade deals with non-EU countries.

"The EU deal with Australia is being held up because some Italian tomato-growers are challenging it.

"The EU deal with Canada is being held up due to an unrelated dispute about Romanian visas.

"How have we put ourselves in a position where we can’t do those deals?

"It’s not just the financial price of EU membership – it’s the democratic price.

"We fought a civil war in this country to establish the principle that laws should not be passed nor taxes raised except by our own elected representatives.

"And now supreme power is held by people who tend to owe their positions to having just lost elections: Peter Mandelson, Neil Kinnock and what have you.

"No one is talking about drawbridges or isolation.

"Nowhere else in the world do countries apologise for wanting to live under their own laws.

"New Zealand is not about to join Australia. Japan is not applying to join China – and do you hear anyone complaining about these bigoted Sino-sceptics in Tokyo?

"It is a natural healthy thing for a democracy to live under its own laws whilst trading with every other country in the world.

"The United Kingdom is the world’s fifth-largest country, its fourth-largest military power.

"How much bigger do we have to be before we have the confidence to raise our eyes to more distant horizons?"

Mr Farage said: "I believe in democracy. When a European law is made, there is nothing we can do to reverse it.

"There is no direct democratic accountability in this system.

"Net migration is now running at ten times the post-war average.

"We have to build a new house in this country every seven minutes just to cope. We are short tens of thousands of primary school places for this September.

"What we need to do, is take back control of our borders. Let’s put in place, post-Brexit, a sensible, normal immigration policy.

"Let’s have people who haven’t got criminal records.

"And let’s have people who will add and contribute to the economy but let’s have them in sensible numbers."

However, Nick Clegg, speaking for the Out campaign, said: "I think the only way we can maximise control over our own destiny is by working hand in glove with our nearest neighbours in the European Union.

"We are safer and stronger and in many respects bigger together.

"This is a once in a generation vote, if we decide to close the door in the face of Europe, lock the door, throw the key away, we’re not only denying opportunities for us now but we’re also closing the door for future generations – my kids, your kids, for all of our grandchildren."